Rose, a Year 12 student at Langley Boys School, joined Quest Soul Theatre for a week of work experience as she works towards her goal of training to be an actor. Over the week, she threw herself into a variety of creative and community-based sessions—from leading warm-ups in drama classes to supporting participants at our Connections Café events. Rose showed excellent leadership, empathy, and a natural ability to connect with others. Her reflections capture the impact of the arts in community spaces and the value of creating safe, inclusive environments. You can see Rose in the Langley Boys production if Much Ado about nothing in July, but for now, here’s what Rose had to share about her experience…
My Work Experience at Quest Soul Theatre
Before my week of work experience, I only had a limited understanding
of the amount and breadth of work that Quest does in the local
community. From our first morning, Mercedes made me feel so welcome
and included in the wonderful group of people she has created. Both her
and Conor’s warmth and kindness are inspiring and really helped me
feel confident speaking with all the new people we were introduced to.
Throughout the week, we were lucky to work with various groups Quest
runs, such as the Connections Cafe, Drama for Wellbeing and Creative
Junction. Each experience was invaluable, allowing us to hear stories
from people we wouldn’t have otherwise met, as well as learning about
how the arts can be used to bring people together. I really enjoyed
seeing how drama can be used in a low-pressure setting without the
stress of a performance. It was great to see how much people could
come out of their shells in one session – and I was lucky to be able to
work with some new members of the class, such as Mary!
Every person I met during the week was so lovely, and this allowed all
the groups to have very welcoming and inclusive atmospheres. I
especially enjoyed getting to sit with people after sessions and have a
chat over a cup of tea. I learnt that though Mercedes’ work is about art
and drama, it also goes a lot further than that and allows people to have
a chance to connect with each other. It really encouraged me to think
about the ways in which the arts can be used to help people during
tough times, and how they can bring people together.
As someone who wants to study theatre post-18, I left the week feeling
inspired by the range of career opportunities available to me that I hadn’t
even considered before. I really loved my time at Quest and hope to
come back and help out in the future. Thank you so much everyone for
having me!”
